


Chimera State of Mind

by coupshan



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Character Death, Friendship/Love, Future Fic, Gender Roles, Knights - Freeform, M/M, Marriage, Multi, Sex Work Positive, Soulmates, inspired by studio ghibli universes, society is better in some aspects but it can always be more perfect, vernon is a mysterious bab
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 06:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16676650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coupshan/pseuds/coupshan
Summary: Jeonghan of the family Yoon is to be wedded to the eldest Choi of the neighbouring state. He runs away when his best friend goes missing, whisked away from the face of the earth quite literally, stolen by a god. 9 more states chase after him in hopes of bringing them home. (Hong, Wen, Kwon, Jeon, Lee, Kim, Xu, an unnamed state and Boo.)





	Chimera State of Mind

**Author's Note:**

> haven't seen many first person stories on here and to be honest I saw myself deterred from that :/ but I wanted to write one that will hopefully be seen as a little good! this is based on consecutive vague dreams I had. dedicated to my best friend soobs ♡ not beta read and english isn't my first language, but I hope you'll enjoy. kudos and comments appreciated always.

**PROLOGUE**

 

Swaying on a hammock, although I am on the ground my element is still in the sky. Earth is a tranquil place, no shouts until you’re within two miles of the city. But even then, the chatter is warm and inviting like the red bean buns sold by loving market ladies who just want you to be comfortable and cosy around them. The night life is busy and safe. There is no smoke, not from power plants and towers today anyway, except from the machinery that is our flying castle. Its battery is the sun during daylight and it retains the solar energy gathered for its run during the night. I open my eyes to only grey and the first drops of rain hitting my face. It is the year 2020 and we are not living in the sky.

I am Jeonghan and I am 25 years old. Today is not like my dreams; it will be destined to be a nightmare. I mean it in a wider sense, as well as a literal one for my own personal sentiment. Our grandfathers before us imagined flying cars and no more wars. My name is Yoon family’s eldest son and I am going to be married to the general of the mountain Choi. I had opened my eyes to a 2020 where there are neither magical vehicles nor lack of warring states. I am to be married just to stop that, bring peace to two lands just like other daughters and sons before me of different family names, as if trading your children “for the greater good” is just. Where the logic of my brain claims this is the right course of action, my heart is somewhere else. I wish Howl was real and I were his Sophie, to find an escape by fleeing to a castle in the air like the Studio Ghibli movies I watched as a little boy with another boy’s face who I can’t remember.

 _I remember being 18 and sent off to kill on a hunting mission. My first assassination. I knock his helmet off with the butt of the short sword they gave to me, my other elbow against his collar holding him down. His full lips are open, red with colour or blood that is still beating or both. There is drool on the edge of his mouth, from fighting to the best he can and the puffs of smoke he doesn’t stop from clouding my face. But his stormy expression clears within split seconds I cannot count nor understand. He has an expression of awe in the moment, like he was ready for me to kill him. My grip on the knife tightens, the tip drawing blood to run down his other cheek and I nearly hesitate as he winces._ Weak _. My eyes run over his face in a quick analysis. His cheek is dirtied from the inside of his unkept helmet and his raven locks stuck to his forehead, curling because of the muddy rain. But his eyes looking into mine are like stars, full of life, ready to be cut short. Handsome and unguarded. To be killed by me._

 _The position of locking him incapacitated causes me to lean down with my full body weight, his right leg between mine. I am wrong, he is not weak. During practice my own_ weakness _has been underestimating how strong my opponent is. I can feel his thick muscles through the material of both our fabric armour so dispatching him quickly is the safer option for someone like me, who has little strength over my much better speed. I was lucky again. He will overtake me if I don’t take this split second. There is a hardness against my knee and when my brows furrow at the sudden vulgarity of the other person on the nerves of my skin I don’t even glance down. I punch him into unconsciousness with a single blow._

“Seokmin, have you seen my mother’s ring?” I ask, to the figure blurring past opposite ends of my room. Well, the room the in-laws have given me to shortly stay in before I get a—hopefully less richly decorated—room to permanently have. I have heard the Choi son is a simple man. I pray he doesn’t ask much of me.

Dokyeom pauses in his hectic rush, hand on his hip. “You mean my mother’s ring? The ring she gave to yours when they married?”

“Look, I’m sorry _I_ get to inherit the sweet thing but,” I begin.

“—But you’re older.” Dokyeom is in front of me before I know it, sassy hands resting now on my shoulders. “And you’re getting married first.” The brothers’ banter is light. He smiles then, warmly. His eyebrows knit together while he finds his words. “I am just wishful that this ring will be given to a union… Jeonghan… into a family that will be happy.”

I refuse to let my tears escape my eyes but my nose stings. “I have hope too, Dokyeom.” The affectionate nickname for my step-brother leaves my vocal chords naturally. I lie to myself more than to him. But his forehead against mine is grounding. I start to sing the song Lee Jihoon has written for my wedding reception to delay and distract me from the inevitable waterworks. I'll have to practice the number to perfection anyway, for later.

Dokyeom kisses the tip of my nose as I swallow my tears. He joins me in the song with his strong voice so I don’t feel alone. But I can’t help feeling that way in this ultimate choice.

My step-brother lets me lay my head on his chest. I soften my voice as if I'm the one soothing him. "Not everyone can be happy like our mothers." Without lifting my head up, I can already see Seokmin's sad smile. I hear his nearly inaudible  _I'm so sorry, Jeonghan_. My first tear rolls down my cheek and it will likely not be my last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marriage next chapter. Inevitable waterworks! Guess who comes in?


End file.
